Page 61 of Finding Love in the Clouds

He smiled at the Rolex on his wrist and said, “Nice try. You must have been early. Have you been waiting long?”

“Twenty minutes, give or take,” Gabriel admitted, smiling that Fernando caught on to their game so quickly. “Caught a jet stream and increased our airspeed significantly. Could have sat on the jet a little while longer but figured your office was just as nice. So, why not beat the worst of the traffic and head over early.”

Taking a seat in the armchair across from them, Fernando said, “Well, we’re all busy men, let’s get this board meeting started.”

“Sophie’s not going to join us this morning?” Anthony asked, surprised.

“She will be here in a little while. There was something she needed to take care of this morning,” Fernando replied with a secretive smile.

“I hope you can handle taking your own notes,” Gabe scoffed.

Fernando, getting comfortable, placed his left ankle over his right knee and drummed his fingers on the arm of the chair. “Neither of you two have your assistants here, so I think I’ll be okay without mine for a few minutes. Now, what observations did you make about my company while I was on my forced sabbatical?”

“It was a good test,” Anthony announced. “The numbers from each department look fantastic. Not a single drop. That tells us that without your close supervision, your departments can continue to function as intended and maintain their progress and profit. I know the explosion impacted morale and overall performance in the past week, but have you heard from your department heads or VPs of any bumps in the various divisions while you were gone?”

“No,” Fernando acknowledged, “aside from three of my staff being blown up, everything seemed to have run perfectly while I was away.”

“That’s good news. A slightly longer test would have been more conclusive, but Gabe and I agree that this was a good indication that the health of FK Media Group is sound on a foundational level,” Anthony continued.

“That being said,” Gabe interjected, “We want to suggest some changes. Not a full restructuring, but a significant enough change in leadership to shake things up a bit and increase that profit margin. You shouldn’t be running this close to the red. FKM needs a breath of fresh air, and after this vacation, I think you will have to agree that you need a break. You can’t keep up the pace you had set prior to your little getaway.”

“I’m all ears. What do you have in mind?” Fernando inquired, curious as to what they would propose and how it would align with the plans he and Sophie had discussed.

“First, and we are going to be a bit insistent on this one, you need to hire a Chief Operating Officer to help you oversee the company’s day-to-day operations and take some of this work off your plate. You need a life, and hiring a good COO will help you find balance. Second, also not negotiable; you need a good Chief Financial Officer. Right now, you have an accounting department, but it isn’t managing the financial health of the company; it is merely monitoring and maintaining accurate records. A knowledgeable CFO will be able to work with you and the COO to find ways to increase the revenue and keep the health of the organization moving forward in a profitable manner. And finally, we strongly suggest but will not demand at this time that you find a better Chief Marketing Officer. The one you have is helping you stay afloat, but in our opinion, she isn’t doing FKM any favors. If you can increase the strength of the FK Media Group brand and create a more effective marketing plan, then we should see a significant jump in revenue in the next fiscal year.”

Anthony handed him a pile of multi-colored file folders. “We did the leg work in identifying some of the best talent available for these three positions. Feelers have been put out, and all three are open to making a move from their current employers. Each position is a different-colored folder in the order Gabriel presented them to you. The first file is our personal favorite, but of course, the final decision on who to hire is entirely up to you.”

“Thank you for your assessment and for the time and effort you put into finding these potential candidates. Sophie and I discussed this while we were in Italy and reached the same conclusion: I would need to hire some folks to help me get my life back. My concern, though, istiming. Right now, FKM is under investigation, and all of my filming projects are shut down. If Enrique doesn’t find something soon, this company will be in big trouble. One of the largest sources of income is losing hundreds of thousands of dollars a day. Asking a high-quality professional to leave their job to come over to my sinking ship doesn’t seem wise. I could wind up burning a bridge that would come in useful later.”

“I don’t think that will be an issue with these candidates. We happen to know them personally and have spoken to them about these positions. They all showed interest in turning this ship around. Many of your business colleagues see the work you have done to build your empire but also recognize that you do not have the time nor the expertise to make it the great beast that it could be.” Seeing his younger brother’s cheeks redden with embarrassment, Gabriel placed his elbows on his knees and leaned into the space separating the chairs, locking eyes with Fernando. “That wasn’t meant as a dig, little brother. As the saying goes, ‘Jack of all trades but master of none.’ You are a best-selling author, a movie director, a screenplay writer, and a darn good actor, too. You are creative. Something that many of us boring businessmen wish we had just a pinch of. Expecting yourself to be a killer businessman is unrealistic and spreads you too thin, as you have experienced already. Hire these three positions and see what the next year brings. Anthony and I are willing to bet 25% of our partnership that you and the company will be happier and healthier.”

“What does that mean, ‘bet 25% of your partnership’?” Fernando asked, confused.

“That means that part of the contract to get these top executives over here will be a promise of a percentage of the company if they help increase its profitability. If our plan works, You will keep your 51%,and Gabe and I will contribute 25% of our combined share to make these new hires happy and want to stay,” Anthony explained.

Taking a moment to think over what his brothers had shared, Fernando flipped through the files in his lap, coming to an abrupt halt when the picture inside the flap of the first file caught his attention.

“Elsie?” Fernando questioned incredulously.

“Yes,” Anthony replied. “She’s good. Very good. What she has done for her last two companies is nothing short of amazing. She was recently featured in Forbes and the Wall Street Journal as the CEO of the century. She knows she will be taking a demotion coming her as COO, but she wants to slow down and spend more time with her family. She is also invested in your success and has been chomping at the bit to get her hands on FKM, knowing that you were struggling and she could do something about it. She’s made the money and doesn’t need more. What she wants is a life and for her family to succeed. If she helps you turn FKM into the superpower it can be, then she won’t just be helping you but Brice, Cory, Leslie, and Callie, too. Look at the top yellow folder.”

Fernando quickly turned over the stack to peek behind the cover of the indicated folder and found Arabella’s picture peering back at him. His anxiety surged, and he rubbed his brow, trying to ward off the massive headache that was building there.

“I see you starting to stress out. Tell us why,” Gabriel encouraged, not allowing his brother to hide his feelings.

“I just… The thought of having so many family members relying on me for their survival is a lot of pressure. If I mess up and the whole thing falls apart, it’s not just me who will be out on the streets but everyone. Look at the mess we’re in right now. One unexplained explosion that never should have happened and my entire film department is shut down. Have I offered them as many positions as I couldfind to keep money flowing to them? Yes, and many of the younger staff without other options took me up on the offer. I have a senior cameraman sweeping floors right now for crying out loud. If I hire Elsie and Arabella, my entire McKenzie family will rely on me for their employment. Doesn’t that seem a little bit like stocking the pond? And isn’t there some nugget of wisdom about not going into business with family?”

“You didn’t seem to mind Brice, Cory, Leslie, and Callie. What makes Elsie and Arabella any different?” Anthony asked, raising an inquisitive brow.

“That’s easy, they’re young. They’re still in the couch surfing days. They can practice and increase their skills here at FKM, knowing they are safe and protected from predators. Then, when they are confident and have experience, they can branch out into deeper waters of the film industry and have a decent chance of success. Els and Ara are at the top of their game. I have nothing to offer them. I can’t pay what they’re getting paid. And they have families.”

“You’re selling the girls short,” Gabe said, shaking his head. “They want to come here. When I spoke with Arabella, her answer was, ‘Heck yeah! When do I start? I’ve been itching to get my hands on FKM’s finances. Andy is killing me with his profits and losses.’ Does that sound like someone worried about your company going bankrupt or like a numbers nerd who sees FKM as her personal challenge and her brother keeping her from meeting it? Call them up, talk it through, and see what decision you come to. My advice is to have the conversations now and get contract negotiations started. Though, knowing your sisters, they will already have contracts drafted since they have had a little while to think this over. They will begin the process of leaving their jobs, and by the time the transition is ready to be made, Enrique will have made heads or tails about the explosion, the otherinvestigations with OSHA and such will be completed, and it will be easier to tell the lay of the land and create accurate and effective plans for the company.”

“Does that sound like a good plan?” Anthony asked, preparing to end the meeting.

“Yes. I’ll reach out to the girls today and see what they have to say, and then I’ll go from there.”

Sophie breezed through the door just as the men were putting on their suit jackets. “Oh, I’m glad I didn’t miss you. Are you in a hurry, or do you have a few more moments to speak with us about another somewhat urgent matter?”

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